HCD Finds Housing Element Complies with State Law
After more than two years of effort by the City of Lafayette and the community, the California Department of Housing & Community Development has concluded that Lafayette’s 6th Cycle Housing Element will comply with State law after the City completes necessary re-zoning and re-adopts the element. HCD’s letter dated July 12, 2024 follows four rounds of review by the State.
The City of Lafayette originally submitted its Draft Housing Element Update to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on June 30, 2022 and received comments addressed in the Adopted Housing Element submitted in January 2023. The City received requests for additional analysis and expanded programs from the State that required revisions resulting in submission of a Revised Housing Element on December 14, 2023 and another updated further Revised Draft on May 13, 2024.
The certified Housing Element includes the following revisions made during the public meeting process:
Identified DeSilva South property (across from Oakwood Athletic Club) as an opportunity site at 35 dwelling units/acre
Modified downtown residential densities to a maximum of 60 dwelling units/acre in portions of the downtown between Mt. Diablo Boulevard and Highway 24
Included properties owned by faith-based organizations in the inventory of opportunity sites on which housing could be built by the property owner
Revised income distribution for vacant sites
Revised implementation programs and actions to affirmatively further fair housing
You can find HCD’s letter and Lafayette’s 6th Cycle Housing Element here.
City staff is working with a consultant to prepare the package of revisions that will need to be adopted with the Sixth Cycle Housing Element. These include updated land use designations in the General Plan, rezoning, and objective design standards for multi-family housing. The Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the changes in late August followed by review and adoption by the City Council in September.